Note: If you are using QuickBooks Online as your accounting software, please check our article QuickBooks Online Sync Preferences.
This document will walk through the settings and preferences for synchronization with QuickBooks Desktop. Most users will never need to change these settings, unless they require specific preferences.
Note: Administrator permissions are required to access the QuickBooks Preferences.
QuickBooks Desktop Sync Preferences
Click the Profile icon in the upper right and click Integrations.
Select QuickBooks Sync.
This will take you to the QuickBooks Sync page:
QuickBooks Sync Details
When you first land on this page, you will be given information on your current sync with QuickBooks Desktop as well as the last time it has synced.
Full Sync: The last time Method performed a full sync: all records shared with QuickBooks are updated. You can set the time for this to automatically happen, as well as manually initiate a full sync, within the Advanced Settings.
Changes Only Sync: The last time Method performed a changes-only sync: only records that have changed since the last sync are updated. To manually initiate, click the button Changes Only Sync link.
NOTE: For more information, please see our article Method Sync in Detail.
If your sync is disconnected, you will get a message to log into the Method Sync Engine to reestablish the connection.
Clicking Setup QuickBooks Desktop Sync as shown above, will open the first steps to set up a sync on a new desktop, as you learned about here.
QuickBooks Sync - Advanced Settings
By clicking Advanced settings, as shown above, you will access the Advanced settings page where you can find detailed information and options for your QuickBooks Desktop Sync.
QuickBooks organization name: The name of your Method account.
QuickBooks file: QuickBooks company file that syncs with Method. If you rename your QuickBooks company file name because of a company name change, Method will no longer recognize it. Please contact Method Support (support@method.me) to reset your QuickBooks file.
Synced Computer Name: The main computer that hosts the QuickBooks company file above. Usually the same machine the initial sync was completed on.
Reset button: If you change the computer your QuickBooks file was on, Method will no longer recognize it. Click Reset to recognize the new computer.
QuickBooks closing date: The closing date set in QuickBooks.
Method PUSH™ Connection Status: Sync engine status (connected or disconnected) and duration of status.
Sync Frequency: Method will attempt to perform a full sync at the specified time. If unavailable, it will re-attempt each day at the same time. We suggest a time of day you're not likely to be using Method, since a full sync is extensive and can take time. This is different from a changes-only sync, which runs every 15 minutes.
Sync Resolution: If the same record(s) is modified in both QuickBooks and Method while the sync engine is not available, there may be an editing conflict. This setting tells how to resolve the conflict.
Example:
The sync engine is offline from 10:00am to noon. Bob Crenshaw’s profile is updated with a new phone number in QuickBooks at 10:30. It's updated with a new address in Method at 11:15. When the engine reconnects, Method performs a changes-only sync and discovers the record has been changed and this becomes a conflict.The dropdown list sets the default way Method will address this editing conflict:
Most Recent Wins: Most recent change will take precedence. In our example, new address is updated, phone number is unchanged.
Method Wins: Method update takes precedence. In our example, new address is updated, phone number is unchanged.
QuickBooks Wins: QuickBooks update takes precedence. In our example, Phone number is updated, address is unchanged.
Enter into "Resolve Conflicts": Neither phone number nor address gets updated. In this case, Method opens the Resolve Conflicts list and lets you manually choose from the above choices.
Let Method assign Transaction numbers: QuickBooks transactions have a ref number field (transaction number) which is a user defined ID for the transaction (e.g. "Look at invoice number 28"). This number is automatically and sequentially assigned by QuickBooks when the transaction is saved.NOTE: When using this feature we strongly suggest creating transactions in Method or QuickBooks but not both. Doing so may result in transactions with the same number.
Enabling this option allows Method to take over the assignment of transaction numbers instead of waiting for QuickBooks to do it.
When checked, the transaction number will start +1 after the highest transaction number in Method, whether it was archived or not.
When unchecked, the transaction number will start +1 after the last transaction number in QuickBooks.
Transaction history: Set how far back Method syncs your transactions (estimates, invoices, sales orders, etc.) when performing a Full Sync.
NOTE: Invoices with a balance greater than zero and sales orders that are not fully invoiced ignore this rule until they are paid off in full.
Transactions beyond this time frame will not be synced but they are not deleted: they remain in your QuickBooks file. For more information, please see our article Method Sync in Detail.
NOTE: Clicking Edit history settings per transaction type allows you to set the above individually for each transaction.
Unit of Measure Sync: If you have enabled Unit of Measure for your items, there are three choices for syncing. It is recommended keep it at All.
All: sync both active and inactive Units Of Measure with QuickBooks.
Active: sync only active Units Of Measure with QuickBooks.
None: will not sync any new Units Of Measure with QuickBooks and will overwrite transactions with Unit of Measure value from QuickBooks.
Customer Shipping Address Sync: If you have enabled Multiple Shipping Addresses, there are three choices for syncing.
Customer & Job: sync both Customer and Job Shipping Addresses.
Customer Only: sync only Customer Shipping Address but not Job.
None: neither Customer nor Job Shipping addresses will sync.
Full sync: Clicking the Perform full sync button will initiate a Full Sync.
TCP/IP roaming: Reserved for Method users on a cloud-hosted QuickBooks platform. By default, this option is disabled. Please contact Method Support for more information on this option.
Once you've made your changes, click Save all changes at the bottom of the screen.
QuickBooks Sync Conflicts
A sync conflict happens when QuickBooks is unable to complete a request by Method to add, modify or delete a record.
This will show on the QuickBooks Sync page and a link to View conflicts will appear.
Click View conflicts to be brought to the Sync Conflicts screen. See QuickBooks Desktop Sync Conflicts for a list of common conflicts and their resolution.